The Road to Heaven
by emilyherself
Summary: Norah Dale finds herself without a job or place to stay until she runs into her former classmate Al Potter. Suddenly, she finds herself in the role of caretaker for his terminally ill father, helping him do what no other can.
1. Prologue

Ten years had never gone by so quickly, I thought, walking into Hogwart's Entrance Hall. It had been ten years since I graduated and I had never come back. Not because I hadn't loved school, just because I was busy.

It felt weird to be back, that was for sure. The high heels I'd purchased just for the day made a crisp clicking noise on the stone beneath my feet. As I walked into the Great Hall, I searched for anyone I might recognize.

I saw a few women who might have been Slytherins, I wasn't sure exactly. They looked vaguely familiar, but age distorted looks. I'd never been good friends with the Slytherins anyways. I scanned the room for someone I did recognize.

To avoid having to be the awkward person who was looking for someone else, I got some punch out of an ornate glass pitcher to one side of the room. As I ladled the frothy, pastel drink into a cup, I heard my name.

"Norah Dale!" someone called, and I turned around. I hadn't recognized the voice right away, but once I connected it to a face, I was springing off in that direction.

"Al!" I said, smiling. I hadn't seen Albus Potter in years, longer than I could remember off the top of my head. He gave me a tight hug and it was hard to resist reciprocating his contagious smile.

"I haven't seen you in ages," I told him. We'd been great friends in Hogwarts, but life had pulled us in two different directions. He'd gone into Potions research for the Department of Mysteries, and I'd gone into Healing. Fat lot of good that had done me.

"When was the last time?" he wondered outloud. I was pretty sure we both knew it, though neither of us came right out with it.

"About seven years ago..." I said.

"Right," he nodded. His mum's funeral had been seven years ago. She had died in a freak accident that I wasn't really sure of the details. Even to me, everything had become fuzzy. I just remembered sending flowers and showing up to give him a hug. And seeing James Potter cry. The simple memory of seeing someone who had always been so tough cry was one that would stay with me forever.

I shook my head and cleared my mind of that day, knowing he probably wouldn't want to talk about it. Who would want to talk about it? No one, I guessed, and wracked my brain for something to talk about next. I could sense that we were kindred spirits, neither of us had dates or came with friends.

I recalled that he was married. I had, after all, been to his wedding. He'd married someone from our year, a quiet girl named Colleen. I knew they had a small child, a girl if I remembered correctly. That was always a point for conversation. But then I remembered that he and Colleen had split up about a year ago. It came back to me quickly, it had been a huge thing in the papers. I hadn't paid much attention anyways.

"How's work?" he asked me.

A sigh escaped my lips before I could stop it. "I was laid off," I told him. "Four months ago."

The look on his face showed true sympathy. "I'm so sorry," he told me. "Are you doing anything for work?"

I shrugged. "I watch my sister's children and she lets me live in her basement," I told him. "It's great."

He chuckled at my sarcasm. "If it's any better I've got a great house... all to myself."

"I'm sorry," I told him, thinking about how awful it must have been to have had the perfect little family and to have lost it. I was lonely as well, but I had never known what it was like. "How's your baby?"

"Silvia," he said, and I was grateful he threw me her name. "Is fantastic. Absolutely keeps me going."

"Good," I said, nodding. "How old is she again?"

"She'll be three at the end of June," he told me. "She's getting big. Talks up a storm, she's adorable. I wish I had her more often."

"How often do you get her?" I asked.

"Every weekend," he told me. "Gives Colleen a bit of a rest and me quality time with my girl."

I couldn't help but smile. Al had always been a pretty caring bloke at school. Quiet and kept mostly to himself, but I couldn't help but think that was due to his upbringing. Being the son of Harry and Ginny Potter brought him enough attention. I bet he made a good father. "That's good," I said.

We both surveyed the crowd. I began to recognize a few people. But not anyone I really wanted to see. "Why'd you come?" he asked me.

"Not sure, to be perfectly honest," I told him. "Seemed like the right thing to do when the invitation came. Why are you here?"

"Same reason," he said. "Want to leave?"

I looked at him to see if he was serious, then looked back to the party. I'd spent ten galleons on my ticket and another ten galleons on my shoes. I assessed my boredom level and what I was likely going to do for the next three hours: sit at a table and make awkward small talk with people I didn't even know why I came to see in the first place..

"Let's go," I told him. We snuck back out through the entrance and walked into Hogsmeade, looking for somewhere to have lunch. We settled on a little place on the edge of the village, pretty much because it was nearly empty. We took our lunches outside. It was the first nice week in awhile, enjoying it was easy.

It was strange, how we hadn't seen each other in seven years or been close friends in ten, but being around Al was easy.

"I have an... idea," he said. "And stop me if it's crazy."

"Go on," I said. A million possibilities for this 'idea' ran through my head, but I waited for him to speak again to let my mind start to develop them.

"So you don't have a job, or really a place to stay... right?" he asked. "And you're a Healer, so it's not as if you've got a thousand places to apply..."

"Right..." I said. He had taken this in a direction I hadn't seen coming.

"Well," he began, before running a hand through his dark hair. "My Dad is sick."

That also came out of no where. "I'm so sorry, Al," I said. "

He nodded. A look of the pure agony that was watching someone you loved dearly going through an illness came across his face for a moment before he covered it up with a more neutral face. "He's getting to the point where I want to hire a caretaker. He won't agree to it, of course, so I'll probably just ask if a friend can stay there for a week or two and just have you not leave until... y'know. I just don't want him alone right now."

"What's wrong with him?" I asked.

"Some Muggle disease..." he said. "Cancer. St. Mungo's has no idea what to do with him, Muggle doctors won't treat him. It's in his bones and all they can do is give him strong pain potions and he won't take them because he thinks they make him crazy. I don't know what to do... would you ever consider being his caretaker?"

"Of course," I said, before I could even truly think about it. I just wanted to _help_ Al. He was so sad.

"It won't be for very long. The Healers gave him a few months, maximum, but it gives you some room of your own and he's actually quite agreeable and I just want someone who will take care of him," all of his words were very fast and I could see that he was sad. I knew his chest was clenched as he spoke. I was lucky enough to have both of my parents here

"I would _love_ to, Al," I told him, leaning over and grasping his hand.

And that was how I ended up as a caretaker to a very cranky, very sick, one Mr. Harry Potter.

Author's Note: And here is the prologue of my new story! Not going to be a happy one, but I'm hoping it will be good nonetheless. Thank you so much to my beta, potter-reading-coastie for all his help with this one. Let me know what you guys think :)


	2. Chapter 1

Four days later...

I had arrived last night, late, after Al's father was asleep. Al said it would be better that way. I wasn't sure exactly what he had told his father, but here I was.

Jenna hadn't been happy to see me go, mostly because she liked having a built in babysitter, but my sister understood. I had been there long enough and it was time for me to move on. I would miss my nieces.

My room was nice. Al said it had been his when he lived here, but the room gave no indication of this other than his name carved into the windowsill. It was a pale green color, with one window. Bigger than my room at my sister's house, there was room for more than just a bed. I had a desk in the corner, and a bookshelf was along the opposite wall. I couldn't say I was familiar with any of the titles.

I didn't sleep very well as it was the first night in a new place. The bed was comfortable enough, it would just take a few days getting used to. I planned on getting up early and making breakfast for Mr. Potter. I thought it might be a good way to get off on the right foot. Al had said his father wasn't in the greatest of moods lately, so I figured anything to get on his good side.

When I woke up in the morning I could see the sun rising over the back field. It was actually a really pretty sight. I had grown up in the city, and felt just a little bit jealous that Al had grown up somewhere to beautiful.

I got dressed and went downstairs, hoping there would be something in the house suitable for breakfast. As I came down the stairs, I could see that there was already someone sitting at the kitchen table.

He sat, perched over a cup of tea, and did not turn to look at me as I entered the room.

"So you're the one who Albus sent to babysit me," he said. His voice was not at all how I imagined it. It was rough, tired, and a few other things I didn't have words for.

"Yeah," I said, awkwardly, wringing my hands. I pulled out a chair across from him at the table. It was time to get to know him. "Norah," I said, stretching out my hand to shake his. "It's a pleasure, Mr. Potter."

He picked up his hand, which I saw was trembling something fierce, before placing it back around his mug without shaking my hand. He coughed gruffly and looked away. "I've never heard of you before, Norah."

"I was at Al's wedding," I told him, "and Mrs. Potter's funeral."

I could see something shift within him and he became even more closed off to me. Making a mental note not to bring her up again, I stood up. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?" I asked him.

"I don't eat breakfast," he said, also standing up. It was then I could truly appreciate how gaunt he was. I remembered at Al's wedding how lively he had looked. Now he was skinny and yellow looking. There was no zest in him at all. His eyes were sunken in behind his glasses. I wondered if this was part of his illness, or just the fact that he wasn't eating well. His hair was dull looking, peppered with grays, and thinning. He was not that old of a man, but looked very ragged.

"Do you want some toast?" I asked. "How about eggs?"

"What part of I don't eat breakfast didn't you understand?" he asked, making his way out of the kitchen.

I chewed on my lip and wondered why he was this cranky. There were definitely a few options for why, but I wondered exactly which one. I tried to get in the mindset of a Healer, as that was my default.

"When was the last time you had any pain potions?" I asked him. I didn't know that much about bone cancer, but I knew it was painful.

"I haven't," he said. "Don't like feeling like a mindless moron." And with that he turned and went inside a room that was under the stairs. I guessed it was an office, and I didn't follow him after he shut the door.

I took a deep sigh, wondering what exactly Al had gotten me into. My stomach growled, and I decided to seek some breakfast. Maybe if he smelled a hot breakfast cooking, he would be more amicable to eating one. I opened the cabinets and was extremely disappointed; there was hardly any food in here, and surely nothing to make for breakfast.

So now I needed to go shopping and brew a pain potion that had minimal side effects. I needed to dig out one of my old textbooks for that, realizing just how out of touch I had become in my four months away from Healing.

Around mid-morning, I heard the Floo rattling downstairs. Al's voice was calling out, so I decided it was safe to answer.

"Hi, Al," I said, leaning over the fireplace. I held my long brown hair back with one hand and leaned on the other.

"Hey Norah," he said, smiling. "How's everything going?"

I wondered if I should just tell him everything was going great. I had absolutely no idea what to say to him, and I hoped that was evident on my face.

"Ah," he said, quietly. "Not great?"

I just shrugged, wondering if Mr. Potter could hear me. "Ya' know..."

"Can you go get my father?" he asked.

"Of course," I told him. I got up and walked to the door that he had disappeared behind earlier. I didn't hear any noise, so I figured it was safe to knock. "Mr. Potter," I said. "Al is in the Floo and wants to talk to you."

After a long minute, where I wondered if he had heard me or not, or if he was still alive in there or not, the door opened and he slipped out. I gave him privacy by going upstairs. My stuff still sat in two boxes and a bag in my room, and inside one of them was the textbook I needed.

I only made a little mess by going through the box. Of course my textbook was on the absolute bottom. It was dusty; the last time I had even looked at it had been years ago. I had a potion in mind for him, which I knew would take the edge of his pains without making him mindless. Though I was really tempted to give him something that would make him out of it, just so he would be nice to me.

It had only been a few hours and I knew the circumstances were stacked for it, but I was frustrated. He obviously did not want me here, and I didn't want to struggle with someone for months. I sincerely hoped that this potion would make him feel better.

Since it was an amazingly simple potion, I had most of the potion ingredients with me. The rest were ones I knew were in the cabinets downstairs. It would only take a few hours to put together and I would have it for him tomorrow morning.

When I returned downstairs, he was no longer in the living room, so I assumed he was back in his little office. After familiarizing myself with the kitchen, I started the pain potion. The first batch wouldn't be a large one, so that I could make sure it was working for him before I went all out.

A few hours later, it was nearly ready. I found some empty potion bottles in the pantry and cleaned them out for the potion. I was convinced that almost everything in the house was dirty to some degree. The house wasn't messy, it just wasn't clean, and the cabinets were no exception.

As dinner grew closer, I began to get a little worried. I had no idea what to do for food. Would he even eat it if I made something? There were a few things in the cabinet that I could scrape together a meal with, but I was just so unsure.

The Floo rattled again, and I turned around. The kitchen, living room, and dining room were all open to each other. Al came through the Floo, carrying a bag. The smell of food wafted into my nose and I smiled. I had never been so happy to see someone in my life.

"You're a savior," I told him, quietly.

"I didn't know if you had time to get some food so I thought I'd just simplify everything for you. What're you doing?" he asked, peering over me to see.

"Pain potion," I said, quietly.

"Does he know?" he asked, even quieter. We both knew he would not be open to the idea, but I was so glad Al was here. Maybe he could help with this.

I just shook my head. He took four of the five bottles and put them in the pantry behind a few cans of vegetables. Al then went to the icebox, took out a bottle of Butterbeer and put it in a glass. The potion had a slight orange tint to it, but the frothy golden color of the Butterbeer masked it. I prayed that would work. It couldn't hurt to try.

He got out plates and silverware and set up for dinner. It made me feel a little useless, as it should have been my job, but it would have taken way longer for me to find it all and charm them clean. When dinner was set up, he went to get his father.

"Dad," I heard him say from the kitchen. "I've brought dinner and it's on the table."

They came out together, and I was glad to see Mr. Potter was a little more civil with Al around. He sat down at the table. "How was work?" he asked, looking at the food Al had put on his plate.

"Good, actually," Al said, shoveling in bites of rice and chicken from the Indian takeaway he'd brought. We were both waiting for his father to take a sip of the Butterbeer, and exchanged worried glances. The food was spicy, he should have been drinking. "Lil's said she'll come visit you tomorrow if you'd like to see her."

Al's little sister had gone into Quidditch, just like his mum.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of worried glances and heart thumping wildly in my chest, he picked up his glass and took a sip.

He didn't swallow; instead he got up and walked to the sink, spitting it down the sink. I sighed, and looked to Al for help.

"I may not be out in the field, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten all of my Auror instincts," he said angrily, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "What did you just try and give me?" **T**he look on his face would have made even the most callous of people shiver.

"It's just a pain potion, Dad," Al said.

"It's different from the others, it will keep you with it, I promise," I told him.

He shook his head. "No!" he said, and he left the room.

Al sighed, and slumped back down into his chair. "He's acting like a toddler," he said. I could see that even he was frustrated. "I don't know what to do, Norah."

I knew he was exasperated and I was supposed to be able to fix it. Truthfully, I had no idea what to do. "I'm so sorry, Al," I told him.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this. You're trying, I'm sure you're frustrated too. Just... keep trying a little longer? I don't want to give up on him yet. I can't." He just hung his head and finished dinner. With a few waves of his wand, it was all cleaned up. "You know how to contact me if you need me."

"Have a nice night," I told him.

He just laughed once, low and sarcastic, before Flooing out. I had absolutely no idea what to do from here, so I decided to do a little bit of cleaning. I would go food shopping tomorrow and wanted somewhere clean to put the food.

After they were about as clean as they were going to get, I decided to go to bed. It was early, but today I was determined to get up earlier than him and have breakfast waiting. He must have been starving by now, unless he had a stash of food in his office. He hadn't had a real meal that I had seen while I'd been here. I knew I was hungry.

I figured toast and sausage was better than nothing, so began to cook it up. He did not even acknowledge me, just walked past me to put on his kettle. This was beyond cranky, he was being so rude, and I just wanted to call him out on it. I knew it wouldn't win me any points with him, though, so I didn't.

"I'm going to the store to get some food, is there anything you would like?" I asked him.

He shook his head.

Al was right; he was acting like a toddler. I was not going to last very long here, I was getting so frustrated. I grabbed some money and was glad to get to go into the village for food because it meant time away from that miserable man and his miserable house.

I had a good time in the supermarket. Al had given me plenty of money for food. I had no idea what Mr. Potter like to eat, so I just grabbed a variety of stuff. That man was going to eat if I had to force him. I didn't know if he was trying to starve himself to death, but that was not going to happen while I was in charge of him.

I dreaded returning, though. I went in the house; my arms weighed down by groceries, and began to put them away.

"Hello?" I recognized Mr. Potter's voice and went to see where it was coming from. The voice sounded slightly panicked.

"Mr. Potter?" I asked. I found him on the stairs, in an awkward position. He had fallen and he couldn't get up. "Oh, dear," I gasped. I hoped that I would be able to get him up by myself. "How long have you been there?"

"About ten minutes after you left," he said. He went from being afraid to being angry. However, I realized I could use this as a bargaining point. I wasn't playing clean, but I had to take advantage of the situation in front of me. For the very first time, he absolutely needed something from me.

"If I get you up, will you take some pain potion?" I asked him, putting my hand on my hip.

"No," he said.

"Then I'm not getting you up," I said.

"You have to," he told me. "Albus wouldn't want you leaving me here."

"Oh, I don't think he'd mind too much," I told him. "Let me know when you change your mind."

I walked back down the stairs and into the kitchen to put food away. I was being a bitch, for sure, but it was all for the best, really. I hoped that Al would be okay with this, and I felt fairly sure he would be.

It only took five minutes before I heard my name again. "Norah!"

"Yes?" I asked, standing at the base of the stairs.

"I'll take the pain potion," he said, defeated. I was relieved it hadn't taken long, so I helped him up. He had twisted his ankle for sure, but I helped him downstairs, into a comfy chair in the living room. He swallowed the cup of pain potion I gave him. "Thank you," he told me.

I was surprised that he was being polite. The medicine didn't work _th__at _quickly.

I had to hope that we were turning a corner here.

**Author's Note: Wow, what a great response to the prologue! Thank you all so much! It means a ton to me. Here's the first real chapter. Please let me know what you think! Thank you to my fantastic beta, potter-reading-coastie! **


	3. Chapter 2

I got him ice for his ankle, and went in the kitchen to make lunch. I hoped that once he was out of pain he would be more agreeable to eating.

Because it was nice out, I opened the windows as I cooked lunch, a steak with mushroom sauce. He was going to eat well. He _needed _to eat. He looked so sick and malnourished. Helping him up off the stairs, I'd been able to feel far too many bones.

"What are you making?" he called from the living room. His back was to me because of where I'd helped him.

"Steak," I said. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"No," he said. "It smells good."

I was definitely confused by this sudden change in his demeanor, but I was going to roll with it. A balmy breeze wafted in through the open windows and I was so glad it was almost summer.

About half an hour later, lunch was ready. I arranged it on a plate, proud of my work, and presented it to him. He ate ravenously, and I gave him my portion when he was done. He needed it more than me, and there was plenty of other food for me to eat when he was done.

When he was done, however, he didn't retreat back into his office. I made myself a sandwich and sat down on the couch across from him. "Are we done playing games?" I asked him.

He nodded. "I think so," he said.

"If we can cooperate, things will be a lot easier," I told him. "I'm not going to baby you, but I'm not going to let you go on in pain needlessly, and I'm not going to let you starve to death on my watch. What you do with the rest of your time isn't my business, as long as you're not doing anything stupid...but I'm not going to struggle with you."

"Sounds good to me," he told me. I held his eye contact for a long moment. I was so thoroughly confused by this. "My daughter will be here later."

"I'll make extra dinner then," I said, standing up. I didn't know Lily very well, but she had always seemed nice enough.

Harry got up as well, and started to slowly ease his way from the room. As he was passing through the door he said something to me and was gone before I could respond. It took a second but then it registered. "I like you, I think you pass the test." What did that mean?

Keeping busy was my main priority. There was so much to do, and when I started to tick things off a to-do list, time flew by. Before I knew it, the bathrooms were all clean and dinner was almost ready. Plus I had made cookies for dessert.

Lily blew in like a lost wind. She was full of stories of chaos and Quidditch. Her team was doing great, apparently, and she was getting ready to leave for a few weeks of traveling for games. It was the first time I saw Mr. Potter truly smiling. He was in such a great mood that I could hardly believe that he was the same man from yesterday.

After she was done telling him about some hi-jinks her flat mates had been up to, I told them dinner was ready. I had tried to avoid them as much was as possible, to give them privacy. It was a little hard though. The house was very open. I could imagine it when the children were little and the house was busy with activity. A young Al would have sat happily in the overstuffed chair Mr. Potter had a liking for, nose deep in one of his books. It was easy to imagine a house full of love and happiness.

"How're you doing, Norah?" Lily asked as she pranced into the kitchen. "Al said you were here."

"I'm doing quite all right, thank you," I said, smiling. "and yourself?"

She nodded and smiled, helping her father to his chair. I wasn't quite sure what to do about his ankle, given that his bones were weak enough. I didn't think a little Skelegrow would do much to help him. Dinner was good and I thought both Lily and I were pleased when her father took a second helping of rice. Progress was finally being made. After his earlier comment, I couldn't help but wonder if yesterday was a bit of a put-on to test my limits though.

Still, I was pretty sure he had more food to eat today than he'd had all week.

"I talked to James this morning," Lily prattled on. She was always talking, but it wasn't annoying. I just had to wonder how she breathed. "He said that he and Kat and the kids are going to come visit you this weekend. Would you like that, Dad? I mean, if you're up to it, of course."

He nodded, though I saw a shadow of something else cross his face. It clicked in my mind, but I would wait to bring it up until we were alone. "I'd love to see them," he said. He used his wand to summon the plate of cookies to right in front of himself, which caused both Lily and I to laugh.

I was actually really fond of this new Mr. Potter. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be here for awhile.

~.~

After Lily had gone, I got him settled in the living room. I got a fire going in the fireplace because it was a little chilly, and allowed him one glass of wine. Too much alcohol would react badly with the potion I'd given him earlier, but a small glass wouldn't hurt him.

It was then I took the magazine I'd bought earlier into the living room and sat on the couch.

"Who are you, Norah?" he asked.

I thought that was a very odd question, so I sat up straighter. There was a brief moment of panic, as I wondered if the wine had made him go mad already. "What?" I asked.

"You've been living in my home a few days now and I know next to nothing about you," he told me.

The breath of air that had frozen in my lungs escaped through my mouth in a large sigh, and I sat back again. "I went to school with Al," I told him. "Well, James and Lily too, but Al and I were in the same year."

When I remembered Lily had been a Hufflepuff, I remembered to add "And the same House, as well."

He nodded. "I know, you've said that before," he said. "But that doesn't really tell me who you are. Where did you come from?"

"Grew up in Wales," I told him.

"So that's why your accent's funny," he said.

I laughed. I didn't get called out about that often. "I moved to London when I was nine for my dad's work. Parents are both Magical. I've got an older sister named Jenna. That's who I lived with before I moved in here. She's got two girls, Phoebe and Cara, ages six and nine."

"No job?" he asked, adjusting his glasses.

"I'm a Healer," I told him. "or, was. I got laid off about four months ago... Not because I did anything wrong. It was just because I was the newest person in my department. And there aren't many places to Heal in Great Britain, so when Al talked to me about this, I took it."

"No boyfriend?" he asked.

"No boyfriend." I confirmed, hoping my tone made it clear that I wasn't going into that any further now.

"No children?" he asked. He was full of questions tonight, but I gladly traded it for a general nice attitude.

"Some day..." I told him. I was twenty eight, and sure, most of my friends had children, but I wasn't there yet. Eventually, I would be settled down and decide to bring someone else into the world. But for now, I was content to be by myself.

"Y'know," he said. "I've got a single son, you may or may not have met him, his name's Al. Scrawny git, like his dad, but he's got a good heart."

I couldn't help it, I had to laugh. I was glad to hear him chuckling along. "Thank you," I said. A few moments of silence passed. "So tell me about yourself."

"Nothing to know," he said. "You've probably heard it all before."

"Oh?" I asked. "Where would I have?"

"Tabloids, Witch Weekly, Al..." he listed off. I watched as he tilted his glass and drained the wine glass.

"Al never, ever talked about you at school," I told him. "at least not to me."

"Fine," he said. He cleared his throat. "Well, you know, defeated Voldemort when I was young."

"That's incredible," I said, quietly. There was a whole year in school devoted to learning about the wars, and sometimes it was hard to wrap my head around. The poor, seventeen year old kid that had been in charge of ending it all was now this frail man in front of me.

"Not really," he told me. "I didn't know any better. It just was."

"Then what? There have been many years since then."

"Married my soul mate," he said. "When I was twenty one and she was twenty, after she was promoted to a starting player for the Holyhead Harpies. Lived the life of a Quidditch husband for a few years until she retired before we had James. I was an Auror then. Then we had Albus and Lily and decided to stop there. We had our hands full and had no desire to have a Quidditch team."

I laughed at that. It was getting even easier to picture the house full of children in a happy, loving family. It was a really nice thought.

"Then... they grew up, obviously," he said. "I got to be Head of Magical Law Enforcement, which was awesome, and she got to be pretty high up in the group that manages all of Quidditch in Great Britain. We had jobs we loved, we had awesome children... we accomplished so much together and it was a good life."

I smiled at him. It did sound pretty awesome.

"And then I lost her," he said. We were both quiet for a moment. I had no idea what to say. Sorry? That didn't seem to cover it. "And then a year and a half ago, found out I was sick. They wouldn't let me work after that. And here I am. Slowly decaying."

"And you hate it..."

"I hate _everything_," he said. "I've lost my wife, I've lost my career, my children treat me like I'm some sort of porcelain doll who's going to break at any moment, my friends don't want to be around me. Tell me, what good has come out of this, really? None."

"You hate when people baby you," I observed. That was what I realized while we were eating dinner. He practically had a physical reaction when Lily had wondered if he would be up for visitors.

"Yes," He nodded. "And I hated being the fool that the other potions made me. I didn't want to end it like that, out of my mind and just a body."

"Well I can't let you suffer," I told him. "It's a good balance now, right?"

He nodded. "Thank you, Norah," he said. "St. Mungo's doesn't know what they're missing."

That was a huge compliment to me. I was proud that we had come so far and I had been so able to help him. "Thank _you_." I said.

He just nodded. "I've got an appointment at the hospital in a week's time."

"I'm sure it will be fine," I told him. I didn't believe it, but I wanted to remain positive. I could only wonder what was going through his mind. "It will be fine."

"It will be terrible. I can't wait for it to be over."

"You're not that bad," I told him. "You've got some time left."

"You know, I don't think I do," he told me. "I can feel it spreading. It's getting harder and harder to breathe. I can't run up the stairs like I used to, for a few reasons."

He was probably right. The cancer was probably spreading to the rest of his body. They didn't train me to deal with this sort of thing in training. I didn't know what to say. I knew what would eventually happen, if he was right. He would probably suffocate."It's an awful way to die," was all I could muster up. He wasn't a bad person and he didn't deserve to suffer like he was about to. I wished that there was something I could do to help him.

"Yes, it is," he said. "And that's why I'm not going to let it kill me."

I had _absolutely _no idea what he meant by that. "What?" I asked.

"Norah, I'm about to ask you to do something terrible. Something I shouldn't have to ask you to do. But I need your help and you're the only one who can help me?"

This struck fear into me. "Y-yes?" my voice waivered. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to ask and I was absolutely not okay with it.

"I need you to help me go out the way I want to. On my own terms, while I still have it in me to be me. I know it is the most awful thing to ask of a person, but I know you're the only one I can ask. So please, help me die the way I want to."

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews, guys. It's been awesome! Wanted to let you know I updated my website (if you're new to my stories, as many are, the link is under Homepage on my profile! Go check it out!) Let me know what you think. And now, a quick word from my beta...**

**Beta Note! Hey guys, in case you are wondering about Emily and the**** Coastie, here is what is going on with that: Due to the very serious nature (and brevity) of this story, I felt EATC would be out of place at the bottom of it. Therefore, I have decided to postpone further chapters of it until Emily's next story. So fear not! It shall return!**


	4. Chapter 3

"No!" I said, getting up. I felt absolutely sick to my stomach. "There's absolutely no way I'm doing that."

"Why not?" he asked, his voice full of anger. It was if I had denied him something simple, like a snack.

"I'm not going to be a murderer," I said. "You can't make me."

"No, I can't," he said, simply. "Look, Norah, I know it's a terrible thing to ask someone. But all I need is the potion from you. Just brew me a really strong potion, and that's it. I'll take it before bed one night, and then no one will have to deal with me anymore. I have nothing worth fighting for. I do not want this illness to take over me until I'm just a body full of sick."

Tears had formed in my eyes as he spoke. I couldn't even look at him; I had my back to him as I stood in the kitchen. "I'm a healer," I said quietly, "not a hurter."

"You wouldn't be hurting me!" he said. "You would be helping me! I promise."

"No," I said, "absolutely not. I don't even want to talk about this any longer."

I walked away from him, going upstairs to my room. About ten minutes later I remembered he probably couldn't move because of his ankle, and then cursed at myself for being so dumb. I was terrible at this job, really.

I found him asleep in the chair. My options were to wake him up, move him myself, or let him be. I didn't think I could move him myself, and didn't want to risk hurting him. He looked very peaceful, and was snoring pretty loudly. It seemed like leaving him was the best option. I took the blanket from the couch and arranged it over him, before tending to the fire and shutting off the lights.

Sleep didn't come to me easily. It was terribly hard for me to put the idea of killing Mr. Potter. It wouldn't be violent, of course, he would just go to sleep and not wake up. He had the argument that it was better than suffocating to death. However, I couldn't do it.

Eventually, I fell into sleep.

~.~

He didn't bring up his idea again, and I didn't tell anyone about it. I knew that if Al knew, he would move in and keep a constant watch on his father. That would not be good for anyone. So instead, I went about like normal. Every morning, I prayed that he would come out of his bedroom and eat the eggs I had made and the bread I had toasted for him.

After a brief period of happiness, I realized that this job was going to be the hardest one I'd ever had. However this ended, it would not be easy. Mr. Potter was going to be dead in a few months time anyways. I sighed. I knew these were the facts of life, but I didn't like them.

A little time passed, easily. James and his family came for the day on Saturday, which gave me some time off. I went back into the village that was only a short walk from his place, just to spend some time out of the house. The night before, Al had come for dinner and had paid me before he left. I now had an insane amount of money in my pocket, and it was burning a hole.

I found it hard to spend, though. I guess it took being around a dying man to realize how meaningless _stuff _was. I got a few new shirts for me, but just because I needed them. I also decided to buy Mr. Potter a shirt that would fit him correctly. He had obviously lost a lot of weight and was still wearing the same clothing. It made him look really shabby.

When I got back to the house, it was quiet, so James must have gone home.

"Mr. Potter?" I called. He wasn't sitting in the living room.

"I've fallen again," he called from the stairs.

I swore, and dropped the bags, running up the stairs. He'd twisted his ankle again, this time the other one. He was going to have a hard time walking. "How long have you been here?" I asked him.

"Just a few minutes," he said. "James left and I wanted my newspaper."

I tried to help him up, but I couldn't get him. "I'm sorry," I told him. "I'm going to have to call Al."

"Don't," he commanded, sharply. We both knew that Al would react more drastically to something like this.

"I can't leave you down here," I told him

.

"Al will overreact," he said. "You know he will."

"Not as much as he would react if he found out I left you on the stairs with a twisted ankle forever," I countered. I had absolutely no idea what to do. "You can't deny that."

"Let's have one more go." He said, handing me his arm.

"Only if I get a promise out of you," I said. Why did this always happen? I felt so guilty having to use him being stuck as leverage, but it was pretty much all I had.

"What?" he spit, angrily.

"We're moving your bedroom to the first floor," I said. "Because it seems like every time I leave the house, this is what happens. And I don't feel like I can let it happen anymore."

"Fine," he said, "Just get me up!"

I took his hands and although it was hard, and took all of my strength, I got him up so he could lean against the wall.

Frustration with everything was my prime emotion. It was everywhere, and I couldn't help but feel it taking hold. I was so angry about the situation I was in, about this great conflict. Who was I truly helping here? The man I was taking care of was suffering and I had two options. Pain potions and good food while holding his hand as he suffered an agonizing death? Or relieving him of his misery? St. Mungo's would have absolutely forbid me from assisting him with anything. But as a human being, could I force him to suffer on?

"Norah?" He asked, still leaning against the wall. "Can we get me somewhere to sit down?"

I nodded. "Sorry," I said. I needed to focus more on the task at hand.

I got him settled in the living room and started figuring out where he would sleep down here.

"I'm fine in this chair for now," he told me, as if he was able to read my thoughts. "Al will be over in the next day or so and can move everything then. Just come sit."

I blinked at him a moment, but he was serious. I walked past the bags of stuff I had bought in town a few hours ago, and sat in the chair next to him.

"Norah," he said.

"Mr. Potter," I said back, looking at him and waiting for him to talk.

"You can call me Harry," he told me.

I let myself smile a little. "Okay, Harry."

He cleared his throat. "You seem like a really good Healer-"

I knew he was going to try and convince me again. I stood up. "I can't do this right now," I told him, walking away. I picked up the bags I had dropped in the kitchen and went upstairs. I would deal with this later.

~.~

I was forced to deal with it a few days later. Mr. Potter- Harry had an appointment at St. Mungo's and Al had wanted me to go with him, to tell the Healer what I had been up to and make sure we didn't have conflicting ideas.

I hated coming back to St. Mungo's. After being away for so long, it seemed like such a terrible place. Working there, it was easy to ignore the harsh, sterile environment. But now that I was one step away, it was so obvious. My eyes nearly watered from the bright white that flooded every wall, and the scent of cleaning potions was hard to get away from. There was no personality here. As much as I hated my job at the moment, it was better than working here.

And I wasn't sure that hate was the right word to use when describing my job. I was just... conflicted in the largest way possible. It would be the hardest decision I would ever have to make. I was beginning to absolutely care for Harry and I didn't want him to suffer.

The waiting room was the worst part of the trip. There was so much anxiety building up. Al sat next to me, his leg bouncing up and down from nerves. Harry knew his illness was spreading, as did I. Al was still in denial.

When the Healer finally called us back, his fears were confirmed. "I'm so sorry," he said. "Treatments have stopped working and its spread. I give you one to two months."

I didn't look at Harry's face, because I knew that was what he was expecting. Instead I looked at Al, and saw pure agony. I couldn't even put into words the pain I saw. If I thought that I was in pain, I had absolutely no clue as to what he was going through. It just wasn't fair.

"What can we do?" Al asked, though his voice was tight. I knew he was holding in tears.

"Just make sure he's comfortable," the Healer said. "I can write prescriptions for a stronger pain potion."

"He won't take them!" Al said, and a single tear rolled down his face.

"That is his choice," the Healer explained. "There isn't anything we can do for that. Just be there for your father."

Al shook his head. The Healer dismissed himself, and we left too. Al walked in front of us, sniffling, but not crying. I helped Harry walk, as he was still suffering from his ankles. It dawned on me that his ankles probably wouldn't get better. Ever.

When we got back to the house, Al went outside.

"Go talk to him," Harry told me, after I'd gotten him settled in his chair. Al had moved his bed down a few days ago, but it seemed he was comfier in his chair.

"But-" I started. Didn't the fact that he left the house mean that he didn't want to be near us? I mean, he hadn't left, so he would probably come back in at some point, but I was confused. These Potter men were so frustrating.

"Just go," he said.

I sighed, and walked outside. I found Al lying in the grass, looking up at the blue sky. It was nice out today, which almost seemed cruel. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"Hey," I said, lying down next to him.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"I'm really sorry," I told him. I had no idea what to say. Was my presence even comforting? I couldn't see how. I'd never really lost someone like Al was about to.

"I know," he sniffled. Seeing him reduced to tears was like seeing thirteen year old Al all over again. He looked so much younger and more vulnerable. "You've done great with him though. He's so much more pleasant and I think he might have gained a little weight, even."

"He's great," I told him. "I do like him."

"With Mum, we had no idea she was going to die. It just happened- so when we were grieving, it was all one shot. Godric, I miss her," he covered his face with his hand.

I touched his shoulder, hoping that would be a comfort to him. "I'm sorry."

"But with Dad... this is_awful_. This is the worst thing I've ever been through. This makes my divorce look pleasant. He has absolutely no fight in him anymore, and that's not my dad. That's not the bloke who taught me how to fly and snuck extra pudding with me at night after Mum fell asleep when we were younger. I've lost him already and he's not even gone yet," he said.

"He's tired, Al," I told him. "Just give him a few days to rest and eat and relax. He will be okay."

"That's such bullshit, Norah!" he said.

"I'm sorry," I said, because I knew what he had said was true.

"I know, **I am too**" he muttered. "It's just... I understand Mum's not here anymore, and if she was, she wouldn't put up with him not giving it a fight. But are we not good enough? I always thought he did pretty well with us kids. We're all pretty productive members of society, aren't we? James is an Auror; he followed Dad's footsteps like one of us was supposed to. He has the perfect little family. I've got Sylvia, and she's pretty neat, though I may be a little biased. And Lily's doing fabulous with Quidditch. Aren't we worth a fight?"

"It's not like that, Al." I told him, though I knew that wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"How is it not like that, Norah?" his frustration was evident, so evident. I knew, because I was so familiar with the emotion.

"He's just tired," I simplified. "He's put his all into the last fifty something years of life and he's done."

"It's all psychological," Al told me. "He can fight a little longer."Then he sat up, and brushed the grass off his legs. "Better get back in there. He seems to hurt himself every time he's alone, don't want him in too much trouble."

I wrapped my arms around Al and gave him a tight hug. That was really all I could do to comfort him. It was beginning to become much clearer why Harry hated being babied so much, but I followed Al back in anyways. I made them dinner, like usual. After dinner, Al left and it was just Harry, and I.

He was watching me tonight. I think he realized that something changed within me.

It was today that it dawned on me. It wasn't just Harry suffering here. Al was suffering too, that was for sure. Lily and James were suffering too, I was sure. And now all four of them were supposed to suffer on for a few more months? I couldn't do it. I had the power to stop it all, peacefully, and now I was deciding to use that power.

"Harry, I finally understand andI'll do it," I said, my voice wavering.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I'll help you end your life the way you want."

**Author's Note: Dun dun dun. I think it's getting interesting, eh? Anyways, thank you to my beta, potter-reading-coastie, who's awesome and stuff. Let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 4

"Thank you," he said, his voice wavering. I couldn't even bring myself to look in his eyes, it was too hard.

"I mean, if it's something you still want..." I trailed off, picking at a spare thread on my shirt.

"Very much so," he said, sitting up. "I don't want anyone to be burdened by me anymore. I've lived my life and fought my fight. Now I want to go. I won't be able to repay you for the gift you're giving me."

I just nodded.

"So, I was thinking..." he trailed off, "You've been giving me some of that Sedation Serum before bed, right?"

"Yes," I said.

"What if you just gave me some of that- like normal. And then I would be relaxed and rather carefree. Then give me a super concentrated form of it. That would probably do the trick, wouldn't it?"

Considering that the Sedation Serum was developed as an alternative to the Draught of the Living Dead, it was almost certain this would work if it was concentrated enough. "Yes," I nodded. I couldn't help that my eyes began to fill with tears. It was inevitable.

"I know it will be hard," he told me. "And I'm so sorry I have to make you do this."

I just nodded again, I couldn't speak. My chest was so tight. I tried to take a deep breath, but it was hard. I had so many emotions running through me right now, I felt bombarded.

"I'm thinking next Tuesday," he told me.

"Next... Tuesday..." I repeated. That just seemed so soon! It was only a few days away. It then hit me: in just a week's time, I would be attending his funeral. It was too hard, and I wiped my eyes again.

"Lily will be home for a few days, there aren't any games. It's a holiday at the Ministry, James and Katrina won't be at work. I think Teddy and Victoire will be in England next week anyways. Al is always around when I ask him to be," he said. "Then all of the funeral arrangements can be made so that they can go back to work on Monday."

It was such a well thought out plan. He had put so much thought into this. It was heartbreaking at the same time it was so thoughtful. He really, all throughout this, was a very thoughtful person.

"Tuesday it is," I said, getting up. I needed to get something to wipe my eyes.

"Thank you," he said to me.

"Promise me something?" I asked, my voice wavering.

"Yes, nearly anything," he said, leaning forward.

I let out a watery chuckle, but then remembered the gravity of what I was about to ask him. "Spend your last few days well, with your children, preferably. When I talked to Al, he said he felt like he hadn't been good enough. Like you haven't anything to fight for anymore. He questioned why he isn't good enough. Don't let him feel like that, please."

He nodded. "I won't," he said. "I need to have Al around this weekend anyways. He's the Executor of my will and I need to go over some things with him. I will try and... repair the damage there."

"Thank you," I said.

"And I want to plan a perfect last day," he told me.

"Oh?" I asked. "What... what does this day include?"

"Don't laugh at me," he said. I nodded, solemnly. He took a deep breath. "Waking up early and watching the sunrise, spending the day with my family, and having a nice evening out. Then going to sleep and getting to see my wife again."

I nodded. "I think that can be arranged," I said. I wanted to make the end of his life as pleasant as possible.

Time began to pass at a very strange rate. It was impossibly slow, but Tuesday loomed before us. I knew that I should get started on the potion for Harry, so I collected the ingredients I needed and got going.

I made it like I would make a normal batch of his Sedation Serum, which I normally bottled when it turned a light red color. Today, however, was different. I would let the water evaporate off until it was a deep, deep mahogany. It would be very concentrated then.

As I completed making the potion, my hands shook as I stirred it. I had to keep stirring it because I couldn't let it burn, or I would have to do it all over again and I wasn't sure I would be able to. Just knowing that I had the power to create a potion this strong kind of freaked me out.

The door opened, and Al came in. He carried who I assumed to be Sylvia. She was curled up, head on his shoulder, so all I could really see was curly, black hair put into two pony tails. "Hey, Norah," he said.

"Hello," I said, and then started to freak out. Al was in Potions research, he probably knew _every _potion out there and I was making one that was probably illegal. I prayed he didn't come investigate what I had brewing.

"What are you brewing?" he asked, peering over my shoulder.

"Sedation serum," I said, stirring it and biting my lip. It hadn't gotten too dark, hopefully it was passable. He stuck his finger in it, and smelled the potion.

"Don't use that," he said, "it's over brewed."

"Oh, you're right.. brew another batch later..."

"Can you watch Sylvia?" he asked me. "I need to talk to Dad about a few things."

"Of course," I said. He handed her to me, and I immediately observed that she was both heavy and adorable. She had Al and Harry's green eyes, which made me very jealous. My brown eyes seemed so boring next to theirs. I put away the potion stuff, and took her outside.

~.~

Al's point of view:

Dad and I went into his office, getting ready to straighten everything out. I may have been nearing thirty, but this whole situation made me feel about twelve. I had no control over anything and wanted to cling to my father. It appeared all he wanted was to push me away, though.

"I think I would like to make sure Norah gets some money," Dad said. "I... she's done a lot for me. My quality of life has really gone up the last few weeks and that's all thanks to her. She's really fantastic, Al."

I was so glad that she and Dad had gotten along well. He did look better, since she had been here. He had a little color in his face, and his shirts only looked one size too large now, not two. He was also pleasant to be around now, which was such a change from how he had been the last few months. I owed Norah a lot and felt completely supportive of that. "Okay," I said. "I'm glad."

He smiled. "Good," he said. "Al... I think you know what to do with the rest of my stuff. I trust you. I really trust you... you'll do perfectly fine with it. Oh- but, I think I would like her to travel or at least do something fun with the money. Make sure she does that, okay? "

I nodded. "I told you, Dad, I'd do anything you needed me to."

"Then do one more thing for me, okay?" he asked. "Looking back on all my life, I'm glad I had someone to share it all with. Your mum was really special Al, and I can't wait to see her again. My advice is this; you and Norah are perfect for each other, I have seen the way you two look at each other. You two should share your lives together."

My face grew warm. I had often thought about Norah... I had fancied her a bit when we were at Hogwarts, but nothing had ever come out of it. "Maybe," I said. I wasn't sure what Norah wanted. She was single, but did she even want to date? And would she want to date me?

"She's a really great girl" he told me.

I nodded. "Yeah," I said. She had sort of just blown back into my life, and things had improved in the wake. She was beautiful and smart and if she could put up with Dad, I was pretty sure she would like me.

"I'm so proud of you, Al," he said. "Maybe I don't tell you enough. But I am so proud of all you've accomplished."

He was going to make me cry. I hated this, but it was something I really wanted to hear. I had always assumed that he was proud of me, but hearing it...

"I know it wasn't easy, growing up as your mother's and my child, there was a lot of pressure on you kids. But you all turned out so well. Look at you, Al. You've got a career that you love with a good job. Sylvia is amazing... you've handled yourself so well through your divorce. I don't know how you managed to pull that off without going mad. But you kept your head on tight the whole time and it's... you really did well. And I don't think I told you that often enough."

I wiped furiously at the tears in my eyes, but looked up and saw he had tears in his eyes too. I got up and gave him a hug. "Thank you, Dad," I said. Then, very quietly, I added "I'll miss you so much."

"I know," he said back. "I know... but I just want to be free from this illness. It's crippling to me, you know this isn't me; this is who the illness allows me to be. I'm not going to let it have me much longer. I want to be whole again. And I can't wait to see your Mum again..."

I smiled as I thought of Mum. I wondered what she would think of Norah, and decided she would probably approve. Norah had managed to get Dad, one of the most stubborn people over, to do what she wanted. Mum probably would have respected that.

"Did you bring Sylvia today?" he asked me.

"Yes," I said. "She's out with Norah."

We left his office, and I could see that Norah and Sylvia were out back, playing in the grass. I could see a look of sheer delight on Sylvia's face, and couldn't help but grin. I helped Dad out back.

"Hello!" Norah called, as she was in the middle of the field. She scooped Sylvia up and ran towards us.

~.~

Norah's Point of View:

I brought Sylvia back to them, figuring Al would want his daughter.

"Let me see my granddaughter," Harry said. I put Sylvia down and she walked towards his outstretched hand. "I'll leave you two kids alone; don't get into any trouble now."

"_Dad!_" Al said, blushing, which just made me laugh. I took it as a huge compliment that Harry wanted me to date his son.

"Have a good talk with your dad?" I asked once Harry had one inside.

"Yeah, actually, I did," he said. "The next few weeks are going to be terrible, aren't they?"

"Most likely," I admitted. It wasn't worth lying about. "I'm so sorry, Al."

He just nodded, and we went back inside.

~.~

I had to rebrew the super concentrated version of the Sedation Serum because Al had told me it was off and I'd thrown away the first batch because I didn't want him to be suspicious. I wasn't afraid anyone would suspect I had helped Harry do anything, since he was so sick anyways. His family knew their time was very limited.

I expected it would be harder the second time around, but I was wrong. The whole idea had sort of grown on me. Not in a good way, but I was starting to accept what I was doing. It made it a little easier, though I would never be comfortable with what I was doing.

We got his plans all set, and finally, Tuesday rolled around. I could hardly sleep the night before, knowing he was asleep one floor below. It would be his last night of sleep. Finally, after quite a few hours of tossing and turning, I got out of bed in favor of making him breakfast and getting it ready. We were going to watch the sun rise.

I made tea for him, and put it in a thermos to keep warm. I fried up some eggs and made egg sandwiches to take, and then put it all in a picnic basket. I went outside, even though it was still dark, and set up two chairs. I wanted this to be absolutely perfect.

By the time I returned to the house, he was awake and dressed, ready for his sun rise. I took his arm and led him to the chairs I'd set up in the back field, and then we waited.

It seemed like a long time waiting, but I knew time would pass strangely today. That was all right. I had prepared myself mentally as much as I could.

Finally, the sun rose over the trees, washing everything in a soft light. It was really beautiful. I had not anticipated thinking it was so beautiful, but it was.

He had a satisfied smile on his face. "It's one of those things, that, at least to me, that shows us how small we are," he said. "Do you know how many people are watching this sunrise?"

I was always terrible with numbers. "How many?"

"I've absolutely no idea. But I know it's a lot," he said.

I just looked at him and chuckled. That was definitely true.

"All right, that was brilliant. Now I'm ready to face the day," he said, stretching.

I nodded. And face the day, we would.

**Author's Note: Only one more chapter, plus an epilogue! It's going by so fast. Thank you, as always, to my beta, potter-reading-coastie, for just being awesome and stuff. Sedation Serum is his creation, so thank you, Coastie :) So everyone, let me know what you think! Thank you so much.**


	6. Chapter 5

It was a really relaxed morning. I went inside and started baking. I wanted to make cookies and other goodies for when his family got here later. I was planning on making chicken salad sandwiches and lemonade, at Harry's request. I wasn't sure I would deny him anything today.

He showered and got dressed. He was in a really good mood today, and it was infectious. It didn't completely quell my anxiety, but it helped to have him humming while he read the newspaper.

"Anything good?" I asked him.

"Nope," he said, "never liked the Daily Prophet much. Just got it... not really sure why I got it, actually. I've canceled my subscription though, not to worry."

I wasn't worried about the Daily Prophet at all, but that brought all of his affairs to mind. "Did you do that with a lot of things?"

"Oh yes," he said, nodding. He set the newspaper down and hobbled over to me. "I've got a folder of stuff to give you later, but that's for later. If I'm correct, Teddy should be here soon."

And he was. I had not ever really met Teddy before. He had been out of Hogwarts by the time I was, and traveled a lot for work. While I had seen him at Al's wedding and if I remembered correctly from Al telling me, he worked with magical creatures. He was living in France currently, with his wife, Victoire, who was absolutely gorgeous. I could tell right away she was pregnant. Her stomach was pretty large, I guessed she was probably seven months along.

I worked in the kitchen while they caught up, so it wasn't really eavesdropping. I was correct, she was due in about two months and it was a boy. They seemed like a pretty sweet couple. They were quiet, and I had a feeling they would get a little lost in the crowd later. I was really glad they would have this time with Harry.

Harry told Teddy a story about his father. I knew that Teddy was his godson, but they sounded pretty close. I hoped that Teddy was listening to every word Harry was saying, but when I allowed myself a glance into the other room, he was. He sat forward, eyes fixed on Harry intently, but still had his wife's hand in his. They seemed very sweet.

The next people to arrive were James and his family. James and Katrina were the complete opposite of Teddy and Victoire. They were loud and a little bit goofy. Their two kids, Jason and Lilith, were adorable but had inherited their parents' silly dispositions. It was nice to have lots of people in the house, though, especially with the little children running around. I could imagine it, a generation ago, with Al running around.

Al was the last to arrive, and I was surprised to see Sylvia in his arms. I thought he was only supposed to have her on the weekends, but she was a cheerful addition. I watched the family from afar, feeling like an outsider. I was an outsider.

But Harry was so happy. He looked more alive than I had ever seen him, surrounded by all the love. Everyone treated him normally today, as if they were trying to forget that he was ill. He had Sylvia sitting on his knee, and she just looked up at her grandfather and smiled. They shared a lot, actually. They had the same unruly, black hair and a lot of the same facial expressions.

I was happy because he was happy. The sheer bliss was so evident on his face. He had helped build this family, and it was so successful. It wasn't perfect, but it was as close as it could get.

I started setting up lunch so that they could eat outside. It was a really beautiful spring day out, so I set up a few tables together and they could enjoy the weather. It was pretty warm, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I got all of the meal ready for them, and they took their seats. Harry sat at the head of the patchwork table.

I went back inside to get dessert on plates and make more lemonade. From afar, I continued to watch them. There was a window in the kitchen that gave me a perfect view of the table. I envied them, so much. It was such a great family. I wanted to be a part of a network like theirs, where everyone cared about each other. It seemed like such a great thing.

Al came in about halfway through their meal, and I was a little confused. "Hey," I said. If only I could tell him what I knew, so that he would appreciate this time more.

"Hi Norah," he said, walking over to me. He was only an arm's length away as I stirred the lemonade. He followed my eyes to see me admiring his family.

"How are you?" I asked. I could tell there was something wrong with him

"I'm okay," he said, "sad, mostly. It's the last time that we'll all be together as a family."

I nodded. "I think so," I said, not meeting his eyes.

"You probably know the best, how is he doing?" he asked. His eyes were wide and innocent, and I had to think quickly.

"He's_so_sick, Al," I said. "It's terrible to watch."

"How much time do you think he has left?"

I shrugged. "Not very long," I told him. "It's... getting close to the end, Al." I could finally look him in the eyes and saw his were shining.

He just nodded. I put my hand on his back, and he leaned into me for a moment. We were both quiet for a minute. "Norah?" he asked.

"Al?" I asked back.

"Do you think that maybe... after this is all over... you would consider going out with me?" he asked, rather sheepishly.

I looked at him and then looked down. There was definitely something_there_between us, but I didn't know exactly what. But it was hard to even think about that right now. I was so preoccupied with today.

"I'm sorry," he stammered. "I-"

"It's okay," I said. "I- yes, I will."

He smiled and nodded. It was nice to see him smile for the first time today. "Come eat with us," he said.

I shook my head. I wasn't intruding on their last day of being together, even if Harry and I were the only ones that knew. It didn't feel right to me, but I did want to keep observing from afar. "It's not right," I told him, "I'm sorry."

He grabbed the pitcher of lemonade in one hand and my hand in the other and dragged me out there. "Al," I said. "Please..."

"Don't worry about it," he pressed. "Just come enjoy lunch."

It seemed like I had no choice now, but I was hungry and I had been admiring them. It was a little awkward because I didn't really know any of them, other than Al and Harry. However, it seemed like there was enough conversation going on at the table. It was nice to just get to feel like I was sort of in the middle of it.

Lunch was good too. It pleased me that the food I made was good. And after lunch was over and the children ran about the yard a bit, while the adults talked. I took that as an opportunity to go back into the house and get everything cleaned up.

It was another few hours before people started to filter out. I was pretty sure they all realized this would be the last time they would all be together, and clung to the moment. Harry looked like he was getting pretty tired, though, so they began to head out.

Of course, Al was the last to leave, but I knew he was the most informed about the situation. He helped me clean up and take down the tables I had set up on the lawn. Finally, however, Sylvia was getting cranky and it was time for them to go home. Harry came back in the house and took a seat in the living room.

"You've got a great family," I told him.

He nodded and smiled. "I do," he said. "I'm a very lucky man."

He wanted to rest for a bit so I took care of some things around the house. I had a huge sense of foreboding about tonight. I didn't know if I could go through with it, but I kept reminding myself of the reasons I agreed in the first place.

When I came back downstairs, he was asleep in his chair. I wondered if I should wake him or not. He wanted to go out to dinner tonight, but I didn't want to tire him out too much. I didn't know if he would want to waste his final few hours asleep.

I decided to wake him up. He said I should go get dressed and he would wake up, so I went back upstairs. I felt very listless today, like I was a drifting about the house with no real purpose, even though I was very busy. I put on a dress and made my hair look nice. I hadn't gotten dressed up at all since I had lost my job, many months ago. It felt weird but it was also a good thing.

It was inevitable that I kept thinking about his death. Everything I did came back to what was going to happen tonight. I knew I would spend the next few days dressed up, for the funeral events. I didn't even know if he wanted a funeral, though I guessed he would want something small, with just his family. Al probably knew.

I walked down the stairs, my heels making a clicking sound on the stairs. Over the railing, I could see he was still in his chair, half asleep.

"Can we stay in?" he asked, sitting up straighter as I entered the room.

"Of course," I told him. "Anything you want."

"We can order takeaway, since you hadn't planned on making dinner. I think I want to have a fire in the backyard," he said. "I've got a few things to get rid of."

I wondered exactly what he was getting rid of, but agreed to make a fire for him. I told him to order us dinner, and went outside to start a fire. The heels came off quickly, I didn't want to break them, and suddenly I found myself walking across the back yard in bare feet and a dress. There was a pile of wood behind the house, and I set it up near our seats from this morning's sunrise. We might as well watch the sun set.

The fire was quick to start, and it wasn't long before it was a reasonably steady flame. He hobbled out to me, carrying two bags. I knew the first had our food in it, and guessed the other contained stuff to burn.

"Thank you," he said.

"No problem," I told him. He handed me the food, and I took what I wanted. The Indian food was actually really good. I waited until he had tossed a handful of letters into the fire to hand him back the food. "What are you burning?"

"Some old letters," he told me. "Just things I would never want falling into the hands of people outside my family."

I could appreciate that, definitely. He had lots of skeletons in his closet, I was sure, and wanted to reduce the amount that would get into the press. We ate and watched the papers burn as the sun disappeared behind the trees.

"What a beautiful day," he said. "Everything went perfectly."

"I'm glad to hear it," I said. The fact that he thoroughly enjoyed his last day was one of the reasons that kept me going through with tonight. I thought about how his life would end otherwise. He would be in loads of pain, gasping for air, and very uncomfortable. That was not how he deserved to go out.

He handed me a glass of wine and we toasted. "To life," he said.

"To life," I repeated, quietly.

It wasn't long before the papers were gone, the fire had died down, and it got very cold. I helped him back into the house, where he sat in the living room. It was getting late, which meant the time I'd been anticipating all day was drawing very close.

"When do you want to do it?" I asked him.

"I'll let you know." he told me. "Soon... I just need a few moments to reflect."

I completely understood, and went to get the potions ready. His normal Sedation Serum for sleeping, and then the super concentrated version.

He went into his bedroom, changing into pajamas.

"I think I'm almost ready," he said. I went into his bedroom, a place I had never been before. I had let him have this as his personal space.

He handed me a huge envelope of stuff. "This is for you, later," he said. "Open it tomorrow or something. It's just some things for you."

The word things alerted me. "It's not money, is it?"

He shook his head. "No. Well, yeah kind of, but no. Al is in charge of that."

"You didn't need to leave me anything," I told him. "I hope it wasn't a lot." I was flooded with guilt. I didn't think I deserved any of his money.

"It's nothing huge," he said, quietly. "And I have a specific purpose for it, as Al will explain. You deserve it. You're the best thing that's happened to me in the past few years, Norah. You gave me a great gift: dignity. You didn't put up with me when I was being an arse, you had my best interests in mind but you didn't baby me. That's such a rare thing, and you did it. You're fantastic."

My eyes began to tear up, and I wiped at them furiously. I wanted to keep it together. He took the small vile of Sedation Serum from me, and emptied the red liquid into his mouth. He shuddered because the taste was awful, and got into bed.

"Comfortable?" I asked him. I sat at the foot of his bed, waiting.

He nodded. "Extremely." he said. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the potion take its effect. "A few last things. Remind my kids I love them and they're fantastic. In the envelope I left you a letter of recommendation for reference, if you should need it for a job. I think you should try and get back to St. Mungo's, you're being wasted. And don't forget Al. That's about it."

"Are you afraid?" I asked, honestly.

"No," he said, quietly. "I'm ready. I've heard it's easier than falling asleep. And I can't wait to see Ginny again."

I realized that was the first time he had said her name to me, and smiled. I knew he would be happy, and find freedom in this next step. He seemed very peaceful.

"Ready?" I asked, my voice shaking. I was so nervous my hands were sweaty and shaking.

"You'll stay with me?" he asked.

"If you'd like me to," I offered. He nodded, and I uncorked the second vial for him.

He put it to his lips, and drank it. I felt relief knowing there was no more I could do. It was done.

I took his hand in mine and just held it. His eyes got heavier. "Thank you, Norah, for everything," he said, slowly.

"Of course," I told him.

I watched him intently the next few minutes. My heart beat wildly in my chest, not knowing exactly what was going to happen. His chest rose and fell still, so I knew he was still alive. There were so many emotions going through me- anxiety, sadness, confusion, and a little tiny bit of regret. I decided to ignore the regret.

Tears rolled down my face, but I kept silent. I didn't want him to see me crying as one of his last thoughts in this life. "Good bye, Harry," I whispered.

After what may have been forever, I watched his chest rise for the last time. He was gone.

**Author's Note: Here's the last chapter :) The epilogue and final notes will be in the next post. Thank you for all your support, I can't wait to hear what you think! As always, thank you to potter-reading-coastie for being an awesome beta. Thanks everyone!**


	7. Epilogue

**One Year Later...**

One year had never gone by so quickly.

In some ways, I couldn't believe it had been a year already since I had last seen Harry alive, but on the other hand I felt so completely removed from that portion of my life. In my chest, I ached deeply. I missed him so much.

After helping Al plan his funeral and getting the money Harry had left me, I did exactly what he wanted me to do: I went traveling. I didn't really tell anyone where I was going, and spent six months bouncing around the world. I went as far north as Russia, south to Egypt, and spent a lot of time exploring the Mediterranean.

I spent six months completely liberated, doing whatever I wanted when I wanted. I spent a lot of time in cities, going to the museums, watching the people and experiencing the culture of the countries. Harry had given me a great gift. I never would have done it if Al hadn't told me it was his wish for me to travel. It gave me exactly what I needed. Working with him had been a very draining experience, and the trip had allowed me to recover in the best way. I wanted to make the most of it.

And I did. I came back with a better sense of who I was. The first person I went to see was Al. He had been so surprised to see me at his house, rightfully so, as it was the middle of the night. My new impulsiveness was one thing that developed over my travels.

We talked all night, catching up on the six months we had been apart. He had bought a house with the money Harry had left him and taken a promotion at work. He was still grieving the loss of his father terribly, and for the first time I had a partner in my grief. It felt great. I told him all about my travels, about the great things I had experienced. As the sun came up, he asked me to move in with him.

I was hesitant at first, but realized that I didn't really have any reason to be. I had known Al since I was eleven, even if we hadn't been so close for many of the years. We had a special bond now and I wanted to see where our relationship would go.

I had moved in with him two days later and we were still together now, six months later. We had a very unconventional relationship, but it had worked out well so far. I was happy and so was he.

My career was up in the air. I knew I could return to St. Mungo's, but I wasn't sure that would make me happy. For now, I stayed home during the day and took care of Sylvia while Al worked. I came to love his little girl, and was pleased doing what I did for now. I knew eventually I would want to work outside of the house, but wanted to wait until I had found something I loved. Al had no problem with this, and I felt really lucky.

The rest of the Potter family accepted me about as well as I could have hoped. Lily and I got along pretty well, and I always enjoyed it when James and his family were around. Things weren't perfect, but I was starting to get what I wanted: that wonderful feeling of having a large family.

Al had started to bring up the subject of marriage, but I wanted to wait a little longer. Our six months together so far had been great, but I wanted more time to get to know him. He respected this, but we both knew we would probably end up getting married by the end of the year. I was content with that.

I reflected on the sheer volume of things that had happened to me in the last year as I lay in bed that morning. It was early, but Al had to work and wanted to go visit Harry's grave. It was far earlier than I was used to getting up, but he had promised me he would make breakfast.

I rolled over, drifting back into sleep by accident, only for him to wake me up. "Norah, get up," he said. In his arms was a tray and I could smell pancakes. I sat up and he placed the tray on our bed. Luckily, he took a seat next to me.

We were silent, but exchanged a few blissful glances as we ate, we were so happy together. When the food was gone, I felt more awake and we got dressed. With Sylvia still sleepy, resting her head on my shoulder, we left for Harry's grave.

I approved of the burial place Harry had chosen for himself. It was next to Ginny's grave, and the two sat together under a nice willow tree. It was beautiful and peaceful here, and I did feel a sort of connection with him here.

Al kneeled in the dirt in front of his parent's graves, his head bowed. I knew that if I felt a little bit of a connection here, Al had a direct line. He came here often, while this was **one of** my first trips since he was buried. I placed some flowers in between their graves, just to brighten them up. Summer was coming, and it was evident by the warm breeze that floated around us.

I rested my hand on Al's shoulder, and thought. Did I ever regret what I had helped Harry with? I had not, and that was something I was immensely proud of. He would have been proud of me too. There was no reason to regret it. He had gone out peacefully, which was exactly what he wanted. Of course, I missed him terribly, even if I had only known him for a short time. He had made such an impression on me, it was truly life changing.

I closed my eyes and just tried to breath in where I was and how far I had come. I had never predicted this would come out of simply running into Al Potter at our reunion.

He stood up and brushed off, looking to me.

"Thank you, Al," I said, simply.

He looked just a little confused. "For what?" he asked, softly.

"Signing up for the reunion last year. If we hadn't run into each other and ditched the reunion, we wouldn't be here. I never would have helped your dad, I never would have gotten to travel, and I never would be _here _with you, and I've never been so happy."

He smiled, and pulled me close to him. I sunk into the embrace blissfully.

Wherever Harry was, I knew he was happy. Things had worked out pretty perfectly.

**Author's Note: I know it's been practically forever... partly because I've been really busy and partly because I really wanted everyone to just mull over the ending. I think it was good. A big thank you to people who reviewed faithfully: you go girl, LivingInTheClouds, snakesandemeralds,xxalesanaxx, Val, malfoyforever, and jasminebrooke. If I left you off, my sincere apologies (except not to you, Edward). And a HUGE thank you to my fantastic beta, potter-reading-coastie, for being all around awesome, and letting me use your idea of Sedation Serum, and supplying me with a title. You're the best :) As for what's coming up for me: I'm working on a new story, set in the Trio's Hogwarts Years, called "Not Alone". The first chapter should be up soon, so keep your eyes peeled! Thanks everyone!**


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